Station-box for watchmen and fire-alarm signaling.



F. WILLIAMS.

STATION BOX FOR WATCHMEN AND FIRE ALARM SIGNALING.

' APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 18, 1912.

1,167,961. Patented Ja11.11, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

COLUMBIA FLANOGRAPH COWWASHINOTONI D- c.

F. WILLIAMS.

STATION BOX FOR WATCHMEN AND FIRE ALARM SIGNALING.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-1B. l9l2.

1, 167,961 Patented Jan. 11, 1916.

4 SHEETSSHEET 2.

F. WILLIAMS.

STATION BOX FOR WATCHMEN AND FIRE ALARM SIGNALING.

m u d 4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WTHEEEEE WQQW ma? COLUMBIA PLANOCIRAPH COHWASHINGTON, D. c.

. F. WILLIAMS.

STATION BOX FOR WATCHMEN AND FIRE ALARM SIGNALING.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 13, I912.

- Patented Jan. 11, 1916.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

WITNESSES:

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO.,WASHINGTON, D. c.

retention. wi n ng. on. somet me Assemo. ACME nucleate comma. or. sonaeitlmn; meme-nuances. a CORPORATION or f mnssa unsems,

neu onox. E n WeT n n aim... KER-ALARM; sIeNeLI'Ne.

To all whomit'may-concerni: 1

B it. known that I, l nnnnmcicwmmans,

, patented? December-1:, 1.914,; No. 1,119,738.

it will; therefore be. seen". thatsthis apparatus is r'clatedgto theiprion-inuention and. is toxbe regarded in; connection therewith.

inventionr lates to that class; of apparatus; in which the recording? boxes-onstations are located in'various partsofabuildj on other place to: becproteotedi. The apparatus in. the. finst station is electiically controlled from. the centralstatibn and: each successive: station is; electrically controlled from the previous station. in sequence... for my system; contemplates a. predetermined tour otduty on the part ofthe; Watchman andi verification ofi his; faithfulness by, a record dependent. not: only upon! an act. on theypartofi the Watchman at certain; specific times,but from, certainspecific stations. in rotation... ,In; addition each. station is. con.- neeted with; a. fine; alarm ofiicegwhere; 3711660136. is: made; automatically and; by: the one openatiomon; thepart ot the; Watchman at the sameptime that, he makes; a. record. at: the central station. Byfmeans oi thesame: apparatus and connections difietently utilized analarm ot fire may betunned. in...

iuention will be-unclenstood' firom; the

a da'awingsiin which- F iguifc is a diagrammatic: View showing the apparatus connected accondimg; to; my

I system, three local? stations being. shomznto:

vgetl'ier ith-the centralz station. Fig-a 2. is an clevationot one of the station boxes. Fig.

3 is. a. section of thebox as: a. Whole taken on.

line '3-3 of Fig. 2, showing, only the; fime alarm. F'isacmncsponding sectionion l1ne,4.-kof Fig. 2; Flg.;5,1$321; general: ViQW showing the central station...

The apparatus: is intended, for. a water house ya rd or other localitywhere a watch,- man s. to. make his rounds at. specified time's andincludee. the content; oifieei fire-eta:

' s ec ification of Letterslatent.

. atented:J n-;j11.,1916.

Application.filedzsentemher 18, 1912;. I Seria1.No.720,922.-

tion; whicltinay; be in the-centcral oifice or at any convenient, point.

will; be described below. 13 is. the battery.

Q. isa eloclishowniniFiga. From thecentralstation Rroceecl'three'lines forming part of? two, cincu ts; each of which" includes. the

batteryflfi; that; is, there, is What may be termed; theimain line D Which passes from circuit breaker (Z to the battery B and ,ithenceas D -to the point al Where it divides,

the portion. E going to the last; station 34, and thefpor-tion F t'orIning part of the fire alarm circuit. E} istheconnection between theafirst: reconding: station, and: the clock m h nism, and F the return zofythe fire ing mechanismwill now bexlescnibed; Starting with station 3,2,. 0; is a screw connection from which; a; Wire runs'to a post forconnection-with; the: inc ingwire. E hich is thin-s; connected; with the circuit breaker 6 This; circuitbteake no mal y s against the: contactpoinfe a? which is connected at the screw 6 by a wirewith post andtheoutgoing; wire of: the main circuit which runs to -.the post: f o the n xt s a n 323,, th parts; e and: be n-g i tegr with ach 0th 1.; a is an arm; against hi-ch the circnitlbreal'ier-is pushed: a the: p iope -t m y means; of; the; pushrod J tohe described be- .Zloa liais -haunted. with. post i f m which wire E runs to post 7 of the next box. \Vhen contact is made with the arm 6* circuit is closed through the next box in series as will be below described. This arm has a slight yielding movement against the force of a spring 6 which holds the arm 6 normally in place. The push rod J carries a hook J and is mounted to slide in the frame 11' carried on the base and the bearing 7' and is surrounded by a spring i one end of which engages with a portion of said frame, the other end being engaged by a pin j on the push rod so as to maintain the push rod in such a position as to allow the circuit breaker to remain normally closed. The end of the push rod is provided with insulating material and adapted to engage with the circuit breaker e and brca k the circuit when pushed.

The push rod is normally locked to prevent it from being operated and as shown it is released by means of the armature h operated by the electroma gnet H. The electromagnet at this station is in a shunt circuit which is temporarily operated in the manner below described. The armature h is pivoted at 7L1 and is slotted as indicated at 7L2, a catch it passing down through said slot and adapted to engage under the edge of said slot and hold up the armature from contact with the push rod J when the unlocking of the push rod is desired. Normally, however. the armature is free. The

catch ha is held in position to ride under the armature when the armature is in its highest posit on by means of a spring 71, The push rod J is also provided with a collar 7' which normally engages the end of the armature It so that when the armature is in its lowest position as indicated in Fig. 2 the push rod cannot be moved. iVhen. however, the armature has been attracted by the electroma gnet H it is caught in this upward position by the catch 71 as described and is there held so that the push rod may be moved to open the circuit breaker e (see Fig. 2). This act of moving the push rod forward, however, also releases the catch h from its engagement with the armature as a portion of the collar y strikes the catch so that the armature is in position to fall again upon the return of the push rodand relock the push red. I have indicated the operation of the armature as being controlled by gravity on the one hand and by the magnet on the other. but it is apparent that if the apparatus be laid horizontally the position of the armature may be controlled by a spring instead of gravity. The frame j in which the push rod J ismountecl and the other parts of this apparatus are mounted on an insulated base or otherwise insulated from the box containing the mechanism as indicated in Fig. 4. The apparatus as a whole at each station is inclosed in a box having a base K with a front K having an opening covered by a spring closed door K by opening which the watchman reaches the hook J to operate the push rod J. A partition K incloses the mechanism within the box and protects it from any tampering on the part of the watchman. This partition K has an opening K through which pro jects the fire alarm handle F and in front of this handle is an opening in the front K covered with a sheet of mica K which can easily be broken to turn the handle F 2 as below described.

The fire alarm apparatus is shown in the upper part of Fig. 2 and in Fig. 3. It is connected with the watchmans record so that each time the watchman makes a record at the central office from a given box he also makes a record at the fire station which may be and preferably is in a different location from the central ofiice. My system comprises therefore a record at two different offices, one for example, the central ofiice in the building and the other a fire office which may receive fire signals from any number of buildings; the record at the central o'flice shows whether the watchman is doing his duty as a guard and the record at the fire ofiice showing that he is going his rounds as a fire patrol.

L is a shaft supported in a frame comprising the plates M and M and the posts m, the plate M being attached to the back K of the box. The outer end of this shaft carries a crank F The shaft also carries a clock spring N, one end of which is attached to the shaft L and the other end to the post 11. on the plate M. gear Z free to turn thereon except as it is provided with a pawl Z which engages a ratchet Z fast on the shaft L. lVhen the shaft L is turned one way therefore it turns the gear Z, but when it is turned the other way the gear is stationary. The gear Z meshes with a pinion 72 on the shaft P, supported in the plates M M, so that when the gear Z rotates the shaft P will rotate with it. The speed of rotation of the shaft P is controlled by an escapement mechanism Q of any suitable construction operated by the gear 72 on the shaft P, the pendulum of this escapement being shown at q.

Mounted on the shaft L to turn therewith and insulated therefrom is a wheel B. This wheel comprises a hub carrying three disks 7', r and 1*. The disks 'r and 1' are cut away at r or otherwise arranged so that during a portion of the revolution electrical contacts .9, a, normally resting upon them and hence being in electrical connection with each other will become disconnected from each other. The third disk 7 is cut away for the same purpose and serves as a support for contact 8 which forms a ground connection. These. contacts are supported in a The shaft L also carries a block of; insulating material so as to be n ated V-from each other-and; tro th 0K K. The shaft Lfialso-carriesanarm'L P -m at itsouterend wit-ha friction 1511 which e g ge t nd of a 'l6V6R L- ';pi;V-

oted in bearings mounted on the .backof the box K, the lower end of this lever-d ying vin the ,path-o'fgthe pin 13'? on-; =thei rod so that, v with every forward movement of; V the rod J the lever L will be mowed and will give; to-the v-shatt L and: the parts carried by it -a;,pantial rotation against the; force: oi; the

springwhich will return thernto their. ,origina-liposition when the rodJ is released.

The disk 7' also carries an. insulated block r which is so located as to pr'essta spring contact rt against asinnlar contact 2?, both "of which aresupported in a block 'l of insulating material so :as to, be insulated trom I each other and the 'boX 'Iheshatt P carries a wheel V insulated from it anticomprising a hub V3, with disks, 12-, c 0%, all notched alike as; shown for-the purpose to be described. The disk o? is alsowcut varmy tor mostv of its periphery. v Contacts e0, 10 and wsupported the insulated block rest on the periphery of these disks.

The various contacts. formingpa rtroii the fire alarm mechanism" are connected as; follows: The, contact a is electrically connected with the contact cu. The. contact 8 is con nected with the postf which is: connected with the fire circuit F The contact w -is connected with the post f which is also connected with the fire-circuit F 111 the last station 34 in the.- ser ies the post 7 is connected by a return wire F with the battery line D The posts 7 and f are also connected respectively withthe contacts: 6 and t which when the apparatus is not working short circuits the fire apparatus but which being separated by movement of the wheel R thenallows'the. fire alarm to become operative; electrically. 1 The contacts '8 and w are connected/with the.

tromagnet Y against the, dial- Y by 1 the action of a spring. This spring is not shown as it is imilar to the ordinary-re traction spring of an armature to an elec:- tronagnet, but it. is.- preferably somewhat Stronger in order ,ta ive the marker power e adeat th dia The armature is. moimt' with, the arm d as below described. The

eaipparatnsalso includes 'a recorder Z which Rafi-lathe firecircuit and which is operated as below described, simultaneously with the Y and records-the number of the station.

=A similar recorder :Z also in the fire circuit is, located atithe fire -station and makes a similar record there. I prefer to use for this purposes Morse recorder of ordinary type, vAll'these stations are alike so far as the recording mechanism is concerned =so that this'description will answer for the descripftio'n of all theboxes.

will now describe the operation of my system including the above described signal 12 E etc, is completed through the series of circuit breakers, one at each station, is, the wire E runs to the post and circuit breaker c and the circuit is completed through the contact point 6 connected normallyat the -point 6 with the post F, the wirejE and the neXt station, etc-., the connection. at the last stationbeing with the wire E. vThecircuit breaker cl of the watchmanswclock at the central station A is 0perated by means of the rotating dial Y forming part of the clock, one arm (1/ of which engages and lifts the circuit breakerrl of the central station and causes it to make eieotrica l contact with the arm d and throw in station '32 forms what may be tern-red a local shunt through the electrornagnet H,

which electromagn'et is also connected; with the point e and post f so that the circuit is closed through the wires E and E as before; This change of circuit throws the batteryon the electromagnet H energizing it and thereby lifting its armature h for the moment and unlocking the push rod J at this station, the armature when released dropping on the catch h so that it will not interfere with the operation of the rod. The

push rod J is then in condition to be operated. The watchman pushes it to the left 'atthe proper time, this action causing its engagement with the circuit breaker e and breaking the circuit at e and'hence releasing the armature carrying the marker Y and causing the recordingapparatus at the central station to make a puncture in the dial sheet as described above. The move-- ment of the push rod J also moves the lever L which. turns the wheel R approximately a}; of circumference, thus breaking the shunt connection through the contacts 25, and throwing the battery current through the fire alarm circuit. Upon the return of the nection with the shaft 1 By this means the contacts to and 10 are caused to wipe over the periphery of the wheel V, breaking the circuit as they pass the notches so that they cause the recorders Z and Z to make an appropriate record at the central and fire stations. The notches being differently arranged at each station the record from each station is distinctive. The movement of the push rod against the circuit breaker 6 also causes it to make contact with the arm a which functionally corresponds with the arm (Z of the clock throwing into circuit for the instant the local shunt E of box 38 which is connected with its electromagnet H, thus causing the energizing of the electromagnet H in the box 33, and freeing the push rod therein so that at the proper time the watchman may push the rod and cause the making of a record from box 33, this act also setting box 84 through shunt The record is made from box because in the pushing of the push rod J in that box the circuit at e in that box is broken for the instant and hence the current which had been passing from the battery B through the recording instrument A circuit breaker (Z, wire E circuit brez her 0 of box 32, wire E circuit breaker e of box 33, wire E circuit breaker c of box 3-1, and wire E and D being at the moment broken, causes the operation of the recording instrument at the central oflice. It will be seen that this operation may be repeated indefinitely according to the number of boxes in the system. Breaking the last circuit at c throws the current temporarily through E. IVhen the watch man has gone his rounds he can do no more until the dial has rotated far enough to bring the next arm '1 into contact with the circuit breaker (Z so that the same sequence of operations is gone through again by the watchman. The recording dial Y on the clock shows by the punctures in it the times at which the watchman has made his record and this record is confirmed by the recordersZ, Z This record he can only make by visiting the boxes in a definite order.

The opening in front of the box closed by the mica K is opposite the crank F and in case of fire the watchman breaks the mica K and turns the crank one complete revolution until it strikes the pin Z projecting from the inside of the wall K and then lets go. In this case not only are the shunt contacts t, t allowed to separate and break the shunt circuit but the fire circuit is broken as at r for a period representingsay q th'of the rotation of the wheel R during which time the contacts 1', 1' and r are electrically disconnected so that the recorders Z, Z indi' cate a long connected line thus During all this time and until the wheel R stops its rotation the wheel V is constantly rotated, in the form of my invention shown rotating nine times. During its first rotation it can make no record because of the breaking of the circuit while the fingers 8, s 8 are passing the portion 1' of the periphery of the wheel R. hen they again rest on the periphery of the wheel R the circuit is again closed to be broken only as the contacts '0, o, 12 pass over the notches in the i wheel V when the signal represented as follows from box 32 is sent is, viz: etc. Contacts 1 and e are provided connected -with the ground so that in case of any fault on either side of the fire circuit the line will be grounded and the apparatus will still be effective as a fire signal.

In order to make a register at each box of the number of times the box has been used and so have an additional check on the watchman I prefer to connect a counter of ordinary construction to the push rod J. Such a counter is shown at z and in this case it is operated from the lever L by means of the crank 2 which is connected to and operates the lever .2 pivoted to the plate 2 A connection 2 between this lever 2 and an arm on the counter 2 causes it to make a count with each movement of the lever L and push rod J against the force of the spring 2 I have shown two fire signals, one at the central ofiice of the building and one at the fire station. The one at the central office may be a bell or it may be omitted entirely, or the separate fire station may be omitted according to circumstances. For example, in a warehouse or department store system a fire station elsewhere is desirable, but when the property to be protected is a large yard which has its own fire protection the two stations may well be combined in one. The use of a fire and watchmans record at the same central station is very desirable as it enables the manager of the building or property to satisfy himself that the two systems are working satisfactorily. The paper dial on the clock may be divided into fractions of an hour so that a record on it tells the minute at which the record is made by the watchman and a similar mechanism may be used if desired by which to make a record at the fire station.

I do not mean to-limit myself to the precise construction of apparatus shown in the drawings and above described because it will occur to one skilled inthe art that modifications of the apparatus and circuits may be used to accomplish the desired result, and so far as I know I am the first tomake a. combined circuit by which stations can only breasts-ads a gis-n ta..- ans-a.

operation sends two dilfereht signalaone of which in Jmodifie'cl .iormmay be sent from the same point to indicate fireor that assist ance against burglars is needed.

Claims: p 1. In a signal system "comprising centralstation and a series of signal stations,inl

I combination with two recording instrument;

one giving a time signal and the other a sig place signal is a fire or special signal, said place signal comprising a rotary circuit breaker adapted to make and break the cirwait at predetermined intervals and said indicating signal comprising a circuit breaker operable during one or more complete rota tions of said rotary circuit breaker, in combination with a recording instrument located at said central station, a circuit connected therewith and breakable by said circuit breaker as described. j

3. In a signaling system comprising a series of signal boxes each adapted to-be operated normally in a closed circuit, means for sending a place record comprising a rotary circuit breaker and means for operating said circuit breaker comprising a spring operated shaft and gear connections between said shaft and said rotary circuit breaker, said shaft carrying a wheel, two pairs of contacts, one pair engaging said rotary circuit breaker and the other said wheel, and two ground contacts, one adapted to be available upon the breaking of any part of the circuit upon one a side of the circuit breaker and wheel, and the other to become available upon the breaking of any part of the circuit upon the other side of the circuit breaker I and wheel, as described.

4. In a signaling system comprising a series of signal boxes each, means for sending a place signal comprising a rotary circuit breaker and means for operating said circuit breaker comprising a spring operated shaft, said shaft carrying a wheel, two pairs of contacts, onepairengaging said rotary circuit breaker and the other said wheel, whereby a circuit may be made through each pair of contacts, said wheel having an interruption in its periphery whereby. the circuit through its pair of contacts is temporarily broken to give a signal independent of as saga breakerf 35." Ina signaiinrg' system cojinpr ing gnal boxes, combination with a ries -ofsi I time-recordingi mechanism as described,

' place-recording mechanism adapted to be operable normally in a closed circuit, and means to ;,operate said mechanism r, substantially as described, and a" lever pivoted to engage said place-recording mechanism at one end. said lever also being in engagement with said time-recording mechanism at the g ven-f by said rotar circuit other end whereby said signals may be sent simultaneously.

6. In a signallng system comprising a se- 'ries of signal boxes, in combination, a timerecording mechanism, a place-recording mechanism, connections between said timerecording mechanism and said place-recording mechanism, whereby the operation of said time-recording mechanism will cause the operation of said place-recording mechanism, and means whereby said place-recording mechanism may be operated independently of said time-recording mecha- IllSm.

combination with two recording instru-' ments, one recording a time signal and the other a signal which byits character will designateaparticular place, means located at a signal station adapted to send a time signal, connections between said signals whereby the sending of said time signal will cause the sending of said place signal, and means for sending place signals independently of the sending of said time signals, and means whereby said signal boxes must be operatedin predetermined orderto operate simultaneously said time and place signals.

8. A signaling system comprising a central station and a series of signaling stations, each comprising a time signal mechanism and means whereby time signals can only be given thereby in a predetermined order, and a place signal mechanism, each place signal mechanism being capable of .making an individual record, means conmaking an individual record, means connecting said time signal mechanism and said place signal mechanism at each station whereby when said time signal is operated used With a time signal to indicate such insaid place signal will be simultaneously opdependent operation. erated to indicate the place from which said time signal Was sent, and means whereby FREDERICK WILLIAMS when said place signal is operatedindepend- WVitnesses:

ently of said time signal it Will make a ree- GEo. O. G. CoALE,

0rd differing from its ordinary record when M. D. NEWMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

